May 2000

Tom CohenDiggin' In - Diggin' OutDouble-Time Jazz

This Cohen album, with pianist Peter Madsen and bassist Peter Herbert-and, on four cuts, Potter-is stylistically expansive. Cohen, who studied with Tony Williams, has the loose, interactive approach of his teacher. Madsen is a technical whiz, with a diverse style that calls on Herbie Hancock, Cecil Taylor, Bill Evans, and others. His "Not Even a Hat" is a fine ballad performance in the Evans/Scott LaFaro/Paul Motian bag. But Miles' "Solar" is more typical of the date, with flighty, finger-busting dips and turns in the piano, oblique swirls in the tenor, and cool thrashing in the drums. Check out this rhythm section, which is deserving of wider recognition.